"What is truth?" Pilate asked Jesus that. And according to scripture, Jesus did not answer. However, in other contexts, he said, "I am the way, the truth, and the light." That doesn't mean that he, personally, is these abstractions. How can a person be an abstraction? He was most likely a Tzadik and was referring to G-d consciousness -- the continuous state of loving G-d with one's whole being and loving one's neighbor as oneself for the love of G-d.

Recent political events in the USA have opposing sides living in parallel universes. In one, propaganda and conspiracy theories are taken as factual, and in the other, verifiable facts reign supreme. This has caused me to ask myself the same question -- what is truth?

As I see it, there are two kinds of truth -- empirical and metaphorical. Empirical truth stands up to consistent evidence. One can "prove" anything by producing anecdotes and confounding correlations with causation. However, these are not consistent. The Scientific Method generates verifiable facts through a process of consistent evidence. This is why it has become the Gold Standard. Ironically, they refer to the "reality-based community" in derisive terms, as if there were something wrong with relying on consistent evidence rather than authoritative declarations.

Metaphorical truth is stories that we tell ourselves to encourage virtuous behavior. These are fine as long as we recognize that they are symbolic rather than literal and as long as they encourage good behavior.

Religions are stories. One person's stories may encourage them to be kind and brave, while another may encourage them to be small-minded and hateful. By their fruits, we shall know them.